


Supportive

by ardett



Series: Platonic VLD Week 2017 [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Normal Problems But In Space, Platonic VLD Week, Trans Lance (Voltron), Trans VLD Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-26 09:45:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9884204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ardett/pseuds/ardett
Summary: “Yeah, well,” Lance chokes out a laugh, “If I had known I was going to become a defender of the universe, maybe I would have worn a sports bra instead of a binder. And have brought more pads.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> For [Platonic VLD Week](http://platonicvldweek.tumblr.com/) and [Trans VLD Week](https://transvldweek.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Prompts: Lions / ~~Bonding~~ (Platonic) and Shopping (Trans)

Lance has been hiding things in Blue. He figures it's the best place. Far removed from where other people might intrude, and not where anyone would look if they thought he was hiding something. Not they would. Think he was hiding anything. Because he isn’t. Not anything they need to worry about.

Who really cares what he’s wearing under his clothes anyway? 

 

He’s up early. He always has to get up early to go to Blue to change and still get down to breakfast with the others. It’s fine, even though the hallways are always cold and the silence is heavy as ocean pressure.

His pajamas are loose and soft, but he only really feels comfortable leaving his room with his hoodie thrown over it all. It stops the shivers. (It hides him.)

Blue rumbles in greeting as he enters the hangar. His bare feet pad up the ramp into Blue’s mouth. He pats one of her teeth with smile.

He hears her heating kicking in and a gust of warm air ruffles his hair as her jaw clicks shut. He goes for the panel in the floor, prying it open with his fingernails (which he should really cut, but they’re so handy). Grabbing his stored stash, he strips off his clothes as quickly as he can before tugging on his underclothes.

Lance feels rather than hears Blue’s distress as he adjusts his undershirt.

_ Paladin… _

“Come on, Blue, we’ve talked about this.”

_ You should not wear that. It hurts you when you train. _

“It’ll be more uncomfortable if I don’t wear it.” Lance drags on his jeans, struggles with his t-shirt for a moment before his head pops through.

_ You have worn it for too many days, for too many hours. _

“I know, Blue, but I don’t have a choice.”

_ It must be washed. _

_ “I know, Blue.  _ But this is the only one I have.” Already, his chest feels a little tight. He rolls his shoulders, trying to loosen the tight pull on his skin.

_ You must ask your fellow Paladins to help you acquire more. _

“No.” Lance gives up his adjusting attempts and yanks on his hoodie, zipping up the front and throwing up his hood. It’s still pretty early according to Blue’s dashboard clock, so he curls up cross-legged on the floor, leaning his head back against the wall in hopes of stealing a few more minutes of sleep.

_ Paladin, I see the clothes you wear over that. Your layers are plenty to cover all your sensitive organs. _

Lance sighs and closes his eyes. “That’s not the point, Blue.”

_ I do not understand. _

“I know,” Lance whispers, though he’s sure Blue’s sensors can pick it up.

_ Surely something so necessary has substitutes for exertive situations.  _

“Yeah, well,” Lance chokes out a laugh, “If I had known I was going to become a defender of the universe, maybe I would have worn a sports bra instead of a binder. And have brought more pads.”

 

Allura announces they will be stopping at a space mall to pick up more supplies and that all the paladins are free to go shopping with a generous allowance she has provided.

When Lance stops at Blue that night to drop off his binder, he whispers the details excitedly to her as he undoes the undershirt clasps. Blue’s eagerness mixes with his own.

_ This is your chance, Paladin. Undoubtedly, you will find something to suit your needs. _

“As long as I can get away.”

Blue hums disappointedly, vibrating in Lance’s toes.

_ The other paladins would accept you. Secrecy is not necessary. _

“Why do you think I come here every day, Blue?” He laughs but he feels Blue’s sadness.

 

As they all fly down in a little cargo ship, the other’s talk about what they want to buy. Keith is hoping for a smaller dagger, one he can fit in his boot for emergencies, which seems pretty uncomfortable to Lance. (Then again, he does a lot of uncomfortable things for a lot of different reasons, so maybe he shouldn’t judge.) Hunk wants to find some new nuts and bolts or something. Pidge needs to find some sort of substitute for pads, which they’re almost out of. (Probably because Lance keeps stealing theirs and obviously not giving them back.) Shiro is looking for some new clothes, which Lance almost calls out  _ relatable _ to, before holding his tongue. They should be shopping in the same section but they’re not because Lance is on a mission for sports bras. He dodges that bullet, at least.

He says he’s going to shop for fluffier bed sheets. (He was under pressure, okay? Hunk put him on the spot!)

They land and Lance kind of meanders around, pretending to window shop until all the other paladins go off in search of their goals. As soon as Shiro, the last straggler, is out of view, Lance ducks into the first clothing-like store he sees.

He tries to find a girl’s section but all the signs are unintelligible. Settling for browsing the racks, distress crawls up his throat as he looks at things that definitely aren’t his body type, aren’t even a human body type. He’s literally been here for two minutes and he already feels his time ticking down. 

He  _ needs _ to find something.

Blue’s right; he can’t keep wearing this binder through all their training and battles, every hour of every day of every week, and it really is getting disgusting-

“Can I help you, sir?” One of the workers, a short pink alien with soft features, is staring nervously at him. It’s probably because he’s holding a pair of pants designed for someone with seven tentacles, or maybe just because he looks completely and utterly lost.

“Um, yeah.” Lance drops the pants, glancing around for any of the other paladins. No one in sight. “Do you have any bras? Like, sports bras?”

The worker blinks. “Bras? I don’t understand…”

“I need, er-” He awkwardly cups his hands over his chest where his breasts are. “Support. You know?”

“Oh.” The alien’s eyes widen, bright purple in the store light. “Oh! I’m so sorry, miss.”

“No, no, it’s sir!” Lance corrects, wincing. “Just some female parts.”

“Oh dear, I apologize, sir! My mistake, I shouldn’t have assumed! I will- I will give you a discount on everything!”

“It’s okay, really-”

“How ignorant of me!” The alien seems ready to burst into tears. “I always forget the many genders Alteans have! I’m a disgrace!”

“I’m not actually- Wait, what?” Lance’s (not really) consoling hand waving pauses.

Wiping at her eyes, the alien repeats, “The many Altean genders. Most Alteans do not fall directly on the binary. Here, let me take you to our Altean wear section. I’m sure you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for.”

Lance nods dazedly. “Right…”

Thankfully, the Altean section does have sports bras, or close enough, and he still gets that discount. There are even some shirt with binders on the inside, like his undershirt but in more colors.

All in all, the most successful day he’s had in awhile.

 

Lance goes to Blue to unpack his new underclothes. As he places his bag down on the floor of the pilot’s chamber, he pauses.

“Hey, Blue?”

Blue purrs in response.

He hesitates, biting his lip. “So what’s with this ‘many Altean genders’ thing?”

_ Would you like a list, Paladin? _

“No, but I just wanna…” He scuffs his feets against the floor nervously. “So there’s more than just male and female?”

_ Many more. Similar to Earth.  _

“I guess sort of. It’s not really so much accepted on Earth by everybody. It’s complicated.”

_ The green paladin is both male and female, are they not? _

“Yeah, yeah, that’s true, I guess. So theoretically, would it be okay on Altea if someone was born with a female body but was really male?”

_ It is only nature. Nature works in many divine and different ways. _

“So theoretically, if I told Allura that I might have to wear a sports bra, she would be cool with that?”

_ Paladin, is this what you have been concerned about? _

“Well, yeah.” Lance scrunches up his face. “Obviously.”

_ I did not understand that Earthen gender was so complicated. Perhaps if I had better understood, I would have been able to offer support sooner. I am sorry, Paladin. _

“Nah, it’s okay. Earthen gender isn’t really that complicated. It’s just people that are complicated. You know?”

_ I believe I may have a better understanding. _

The wording makes Lance giggle. Only a 10,000 year old lion would respond with so formally. “Yeah, okay, you know.”

_ I know, _ Blue repeats hesitantly, matching Lance’s intonation.

“So I guess I won’t be storing these in your hull anymore.” Lance brandishes his bag of new clothes.

_ I am glad. They are in need of a wash. _

“Yeah, yeah. But don’t think you’ve gotten rid of me! I’m still going to visit!”

_ I would enjoy that. I am happy for you. _

Lance smiles gently and pride radiates through their bond.

 

“Pidge, I’ve been the one stealing your pads.”

“WHAT?”


End file.
